Do I need a degree to be a designer?
Do I need a degree to be a designer?
Little known secret... most studios don't give a shit about what degree you have.
Written by Dave Greasley on 23.07.2020
It’s long been the natural route to becoming a designer. Finish school, go to College, go to Uni, leave with £50k of debt and begin your career. But, does it have to be this way?
Written by Dave Greasley on 23.07.2020
Why don’t we care about Degrees
We’ve hired multiple designers in our time. Can I remember what degrees any of them had? No. Did I even ask them at the time of interviewing? Probably not.
We didn’t go to Uni (Foundation Degrees, Norton College, Sheffield, Class of ‘07). Some of the best designers in the field today didn’t. For some reason getting a degree has become ‘the norm’ as a starting point, but we don’t think it’s the only way. We’ve talked about alternatives to University before but here’s a clearer example about why importance shouldn’t be placed on the grade you come out with.
Here’s an (obviously fictional) story to emphasise the point...
Jack
Left Uni with a First, went on to do his Masters. Smashed it. Well done Jack.
Jack spent 5 years of his life studying how to be a great designer. He worked hard, was committed to the course, turned up for every lecture & his work was always in on time. He spent his evenings improving his coursework, or reading books on layout & typography.
Jack
Left Uni with a First, went on to do his Masters. Smashed it. Well done Jack.
Jack spent 5 years of his life studying how to be a great designer. He worked hard, was committed to the course, turned up for every lecture & his work was always in on time. He spent his evenings improving his coursework, or reading books on layout & typography.
Jill
Left Uni with a 2.2. Her parents were disappointed & said she should have tried harder.
Jill enjoyed being a designer, but it was part of her world, not her whole world. She played keys in a French Electro band. She spent her student loan on trips around Europe, books and culinary classes. She turned up to most of the lectures, but missed a few due to hangovers or gig commitments.
Jill
Left Uni with a 2.2. Her parents were disappointed & said she should have tried harder.
Jill enjoyed being a designer, but it was part of her world, not her whole world. She played keys in a French Electro band. She spent her student loan on trips around Europe, books and culinary classes. She turned up to most of the lectures, but missed a few due to hangovers or gig commitments.
The outcome of these stories is that they’ve both come out of Uni with a degree, but they’ve lived very different lives. Which person would I rather hire? Jill every time.
She’s culturally rounded, her time abroad has made her a good communicator, her interests in music & cooking show she’s creative on all levels. And she just sounds like a more interesting person to be around. It's not all about academia, it's about having a personality we (or whoever is employing you) can gel with.
What we do care about
Becoming a great designer is a process. It’ll take you the next ten years, at least. So if you’re expecting to leave Uni the finished article, you’re in for a shock.
Enjoy your early twenties. Try lots of things. Explore the world outside of what you know, your future-self will thank you for it.
Our aim is always to hire the right people, with the right attitudes. The ones that will improve our studio culture, not just our revenue.
Here’s a list of things we do care about, that University won’t teach you:
- Be a good listener
- Be interested in all aspects of the world
- Be able to communicate your ideas
- Show passion in all that you do
- Ask lots of questions
- Be humble, & know that your journey is just beginning
We asked studio owners via Insta-Stories this simple question, "Do you know, or care about what level of degree your staff have?"
Over 100 people answered, over 80% said no.
So who does care about degrees?
Sometimes big agencies with hiring staff will use basic information like degree level to narrow down a large list of applicants. But don’t get me started on the large-agency model & why they’re dated.
Also. your mum, she probably cares that you have a degree, but that’s because she comes from a time when going to Uni was impressive and not just a huge money making machine.
Written by Dave Greasley on 23.07.2020
Follow the studio on Instagram and Twitter
Written by Dave Greasley on 23.07.2020
Follow the studio on Instagram and Twitter
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Want a question answered?
Email us advice@sidebyside.co.uk
Want a question answered?
Email us advice@sidebyside.co.uk
Over the last few years we've become a little jaded with the whole design industry. As we've grown as a business – and more importanly, people – we've seen the importance of helping others, and giving back. We've learnt a hell of a lot during our careers, mostly from fixing fuck-ups, and we want to share this knowledge.
We can see the pitfalls of this industry (we've lived it) and now we're in a position where we can help, rather than just moan about it. We've listened to many a student and young designer asking the same questions, so we know there's a scarcity of answers out there. No inspirational quotes. Just gritty, honest, insights.
Gain Knowledge. Give Knowledge.
Over the last few years we've become a little jaded with the whole design industry. As we've grown as a business – and more importanly, people – we've seen the importance of helping others, and giving back. We've learnt a hell of a lot during our careers, mostly from fixing fuck-ups, and we want to share this knowledge.
We can see the pitfalls of this industry (we've lived it) and now we're in a position where we can help, rather than just moan about it. We've listened to many a student and young designer asking the same questions, so we know there's a scarcity of answers out there. No inspirational quotes. Just gritty, honest, insights.
Gain Knowledge. Give Knowledge.
